Process relating to the production of distilled water



p ,.1934. w. L. McLAUGHLIN ET AL 1,972,350

FROCESS RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF DISTILLED WATER Filed June 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS W. L. M LAUGHLIN Ha L .M LAUG-l-lhlN Vllf} BAL LOU ATTORNEY.

Sept. 4, 1934. w. McLAUGHLIN ET AL 1,972,350

PROCESS RELATING T0 THE PRODUCTION OF DISTILLED WATER Filed June 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I 8/: 64 I 83 'INVENTORS W. L M LAUGHLIN I 1'1". L- M LAUGHLIN BY VIRF BALL OU ATTORNEY.

Sept. 4, 1934. w. L. M LAUGHLIN ET AL 1,972,350

PROCESS RELATING To THE PRODUCTION OF DISTILLED WATER Filed June 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 'W/WL .M LAUGHLIN I--. L .M LAUGHLIN BY VI 1%! BALLOU 5 z E I z z A ITORNEY.

Patented Sept. 4, 1934 PROCESS RELATING TO THE PRODUCTION OF DISTILLED WATER Wilson L. McLaughlin, Herrold L. McLaughlin, and Virg Ballou, Des Moines, Iowa, assignors to National Pure Water Corporation,

Des Moines,

Iowa, a corporation oi. Iowa Application June 16, 1932, Serial No. 617,638 1 Claim. (01.202-61) The principal object of our invention is to provide a process of distilling water or other liquids that is more economical and rapid than has been possible heretofore.

5 A further object of this invention is toprovide a method of distilling water or like that is continuous and uniform in operation. I

A still further object of our invention is to provide a method of commercially distilling water that produces a distilled water of exceptionally hi h quali y.

' A still further object of this invention is to provide a process of distilling water that frees the water of undesirable gases and foreign l6 matter. 7

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Our invention consists in the process. hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claim, and

B0 illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the coal pulverizer and boiler used in the-process with sections cut away to more fully illustrate the same and with suitv part 'of the shaft 19. By this arrangement of 80 5 able pipes for connecting the various .parts.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the air heater, economi zer, and precipitator used in the process with sections cut away to more fully illustrate the same and with suitable pipes for connecting the various parts.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the steam washer and condenser used in our process with sections cut away to more fully illustrate the same and with suitable connecting pipes. 5 Figs. 1, 2, and 3, when pieced together, diagrammatically illustrate our complete process.

The commercial necessity and demand for distilled water is increasing rapidly. Some of our larger cities are now consuming over a million 0 gallons of distilled water daily. The chief trouble however, found in the use of distilled water is its high cost of production. Naturally, if this high cost could be materially reduced it not only would be a boon to the present users of distilled water, but would greatly increase the hundreds of uses and users of such water. Our method makes this possible, thereby aiding industry and the general public.

We will now describe the various parts shown in the drawings, which illustrate one satisfactory way of accomplishing our process of distilling water. The numeral designates a base flooring of suitable material and the numeral 11 a 5 second flooring spaced apart and above the floor- ,with the inside of a suitablepowdered fuel bum- 90 ing 10. As it is well known that more heat units can be obtained from comminuted coal than from lump coal, we show in our drawings a powdered fuel device. The numeral 12 designates a conduit having one endterminating inside the hopper 13 and its other end designed to be in communication with a source of granular coal. An electromagnet 14 may be interposed in this conduit if desired for retrieving any undesirable metallic material or members that might be pass 66 ing downwardly with the coal.

The numeral 15 designates a coal pulverizer resting on the floor 10 and actuated by a suitable motor 16. The numeral 17 designates a housing communicating with the inlet opening of the pulverizer 15. The numeral 18 designates a pipe having one end communicating with the inside of the hopper 13 and its other end communicating with the inside of the'housing 17. The numeral 19 designates a shaft extending through 76 and rotatably mounted in the pipe 18. This shaft 19 is operatively connected to a prime mover 20, as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral 21 designates an auger inside the pipe 18 and on'or forming a parts the coal .will be properly and continuously fed into the pulverizer 15. The pulverized coal produced in the pulverizer 15 will pass through the outlet pipe 22 into the fan housing 23. The numeral 24 designates a prime mover for ro- 86 tating the ordinary fan inside the fan housing 23. The numeral 25 designates a pipe having one end'communicating with the outlet port of the fan housing 23 and its other end communicating er 26. This pipe extends upwardly and then downwardly and forwardly into the powdered fuel burner. Interposed in this pipe 25 and in close proximity to the burner 26 is an enlarged portion 27. The numeral 28 designates a 9 cone member inside the. enlarged member for more evenly distributing and spreading out the powdered fuel as it enters the burner. This burner 2 extends into the combustion'chamber- 29 of the boiler '30. The numeral 31 designates closable peep holes for observing results inside the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber 29 extends upwardly a substantial distance inside the boiler 30, has a diameter much less than the diameter of theboiler and both it and the boiler are open at their bottoms, ,as shown in Fig. 1. The open bottoms of the combustion i chamber and boiler communicate with the inside.

of a pit 32 located directly. below them, with the no exception of that portion of the bottom of the boiler which is not directly below the combustion chamber and which is closed.

This pit has a partition 33, which creates the two compartments 34 and 35. The compartment 34 is positioned below the combustion chamber 29 and some distance from the top of the compartment are ledges 36 for restricting the area in the compartment at points some distance from its top. The numeral 37 designates a chamber in V the upper end portion of the boiler 30 and spaced apart from the combustion chamber. gases produced in the combustion chamber will first pass downwardly into the compartment 34 and then upwardly through tubes 38 disposed around the combustion chamber into thechamber 3'7. The numeral 39 designates a steam dome inside the chamber 37 having a diameter much less than the diameter of the boiler 30. The restricted area near the upper end of the compartment 34 will encourage the hot gases to reverse their direction and travel upwardly through the pipes 38. Any cinders, dirt, or like will be, however, encouraged to settle in the bottom of the compartment 34 where they may be taken out from time to time. The hot gases that enter the chamber 37 and surround the steam dome 39 will next pass downwardly through the pipes 49 into the compartment 35.

The numeral 41 designates a partition in the chamber 3'7 communicating with the boiler water compartment. This partition is hollow and communicates with the inside top of the steam dome 39 by the pipe 42. The numeral 43 designates a water leg communicating with the inside bottom of the water compartment of the boiler. The numeral 44 designates a second water leg for collecting foreign matter from the water communicating with the inside bottom of the boiler.

From the compartment 35 the hot gases will again pass upwardly through the pipes 45, where they eventually pass from the boiler 30 into the large pipe 46. The numeral 47 designates the water inlet pipe communicating with the inside water' compartment of the boiler 30. Water passing through this pipe-4'7 will fill the space around the pipes 38, 40. and 41 and steam from this water will collect in the steam dome 39.

In' order that this water will be even more highly heated from the heat in the combustion chamber, we have provided water tubes 48 open at their tops and bottoms and extending downwardly in the wall of the combustion chamber. as shown in Fig. 1. Steam created and existing in the steam dome 39 will pass upwardly through the pipe 49 into the steam purifier housing 50 at a point slightly above the inside bottom of that member. The numeral 51 designates a manually operated valve interposed in the pipe 49. The housing 50 is of perpendicular construction and inside of which is an upwardly extending spiral member 52. The steam, therefore, entering the steam purifier will be rotated in following this spiral path to the top of the steam purifier. This action will cause any small particles of water still remaining in the steam to strike and engage the inside wall of the housing 50 by centrifugal force. Once such particles have engaged the inside of the housing they will collect and trickle downwardly to the bottom of the housing 50, where they may be released through the valve and pipe 53. By this construction, small particles of water or other foreign matter will be removed from the steam and the steam will reach the top of the purifier and in a dry condition.

The hot The rapid rotating of the steam in the steam puri fier will also release many undesirable gases.

From the top of the steam purifier this now dry steam passes through the pipe 54 and-into the top forward end portion of the condenser housing 55. This condenser has a forward chamber 56 into which the pipe 54 empties, a central chamber 57, and a rear end chamber 58. The numeral 59 designates a horizontal partition in the chamber 56, as shown in Fig. 3. The dry steam entering the chamber 56 above the partition 59 passes through tubes 60 to the inside upper portion of the chamber 58 and above thev horizontal partition 61 in that chamber.

As the partition 61 is in a plane lowerthan the partition 59 the steam which has now condensed into liquid will pass through the tubes 62 back into the chamber 56 below the partition 59. This rapidly cooling water will then flow back into the chamber 58 below the partition 61 through the tubes 63. This cooled water is now distilled water and is drawn from the condenser through the pipe 64 and put to useful purposes.

The numeral 65 designates a pipe having one end communicating with a source of relatively.

cold water to be distilled and its other end communicating with the inside bottom of the chamber 57. This cold water entering the condenser housing will naturally surround the tubes 60, 62, and 63 therein. It will first contact the coolest tubes 63, the next coolest tubes 62, and lastly the hot steam tubes 60. Therefore, as the water rises in the chamber 57 it will become exceptionally hot by absorbing approximately all of the heat units from the steam. By this arrangement, we are able to condense our steam and at the same time utilize the valuable heat unitsof the steam to pre-heat additional water coming into the'process. Only a small percentage of heat units are lost and the steam and condensed water passing through the tubes. 60, 62, and 63 should be so slow and time-adjusted with the cold water coming into the process that the distilled water leaving the pipe 64 will be only a slight number of degrees above the undistilled water entering the chamber 5'7. The undesirable gases and odors released from the steam and distilled water are removed from the chamber 58 by the small motorized vacuum pump 6'1 communicating with the inside top of the chamber 58. The numeral 68 designates an air inlet pipe also in communication with the inside top of the chamber 58. The numeral 69 designates-a funnel member on the upper end of the pipe 68 in which is a strainer '70, as shown in- Fig. 3. By this arrangement, air will pass through the pipe 68 into the chamber 58 and then out again to. the outsideatmosphere through the pump 67, carrying with it undesirable fumes and gases.

An agitator 71 may also be installed in the chamber 58 and in the condensed water above the partition 61. Any suitable agitating means will agitate the condensed water and further aid in releasing undesirable gases. have extensions on their ends that communicate with the inside of the chamber 58. The length of these extended portions of the tube 60 should increase in length as the tubes are arranged upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. By this construction, drops of water will fall without hindrance'from the extended portions of the tube 60 downwardly into the collecting condensed water in the cham- The tubes 60 should.

ber 58. This free dropping of the water in the I chamber 58 and the splashing of the same on hitting the water surface will further aid in successfully condensing the steam into distilled water. The outlet pipe 66 which communicates with the inside top of the chamber 57 passes downwardly and eventually enters the central chamber '72 in the economizer housing '73. I'he pipe 46 from the boiler communicates with the inside of the upper chamber '74 of the economizer, as shown in Fig. 2. The hot gases that pass into the chamber '74 from the pipe 46 pass downwardly through pipes '75 in the chamber '72 to the lower i chamber in the bottom of the economizer. Much of the heat in the hot gases from the combustion chamber not absorbed by the water in the boiler 30 will be absorbed by the undistilled water in the chamber '72 surrounding the pipes '75. The remaining hot gases in the lower chamber of the economizer will pass through the pipe 76 to the inside of the air heater '77. It will here be noted that the water reaching the bottom of this chamber '72 will be extremely warm and from the nottom of this chamber this undistilled water will pass through the pipe '78 to the inside of the precipitator '79. In order that the water inside the economizer will successfully circulate and contact the outsides of the pipes '75, we have provided a rotatably mounted agitator inside the chamber '72 rotated by a prime mover 81.

The numeral 82 designates a partition inside the precipitator extending from the inside top of the precipitator downwardly to a point a substantial distance from the bottom of the precipitator, as shown in Fig. 2. This partition is positioned a substantial distance from the longitudinal center of the precipitator, thereby creating a restricted room 83 at one side 05 the partition and an enlarged room 84 at the other side of the partition. The hot water from the pipe 78 enters near the top of the precipitator in the restricted room 83 and due to the restricted area of this room, passes rapidly downwardly in order to pass below the bottom of the partition and into the enlarged room 84. As the room 84 is of substantial area the column of hot water will rise relatively slowly, thereby encouraging undesirable foreign matter and material to settle in the bottom of the precipitator. This material or matter may be periodically removed from the bottom of the precipitator through the pipe 85. This hot cleansed water passes from the top of the room 84 through the pipe 4'7 into the boiler 30, where it is changed to steam.

The compartment 86 of the air heater receives the remaining hot gases from the pipe '76. These hot gasesenter near the top of the compartment 86, extend downwardly to pass under the partition 87, and then travel upwardly to the top of the compartment 86, where the gases' may leave the air heater through the pipe 88. The numeral 89 designates a compartment in the top of the air heater '77. The numeral 90 designates tubes inside the compartment 86 having their upper ends communicating with the inside of the compartment 89 and their lower ends communicating with the outside atmosphere near the bottom of the air heater, as shown in Fig. 2. The numeral 91 to the inside of the pulverizer 15, thereby suitably warming the coal being pulverized. This heating of the coal not only aids in its reduction to impalpability, but encourages its ignition upon entrance into the combustion chamber. After the hot gases created inside the combustion chamber have eventually passed through the air heater, little if any heat units in the gas will remain. As a matter of fact, the gases will have long before this lost so many of their heat units that there will be little tendency, if any, for the gases to follow their many sinuous paths through the process and out ofthe gas outlet pipe 94. To encourage this passage of the spent gases we have interposed between the pipe 88 and pipe 94, a fan housing 95. The fan in this housing is rotated by a. prime mover 96.

The tubes 48 in the refractory wall of the combustion chamber will aid in highly circulating the water inside the boiler and will also aid in preventing the burning out of the wall of the combustion chamber.

From the above, it will readily be appreciated that we have provided an economical process of producing pure distilled water by using highly eflicient units, utilizing every possible heat unit from the fuel, and the retrieving of valuable heat units in the steam for further use in the continuous process.

We claim:

The process of producing distilled water, comprising the continuous, reduction of water to steam in a suitable boiler, the heating of the boiler by comminuted solid fuel burned in suspension, the purifying of the steam of sma 1 particles of water and matter, the bringing of the purified steam into close proximity to the cold water entering the process; whereby the steam is condensed into distilled water and the water entering the process is substantially heated, the agitating of the distilled water, the drawing ofi of undesirable gases and odors from the steam and distilled water, the passing of the stack gases from the boiler into a plurality of tubes, the further heating of the undistilled water by circulating it around the tubes, the passing of the hot undistilled water through a precipitator before its entrance into the boiler, and lastly the withdrawal of the remaining hot stack gases from the tubes and the passing of the same through a hot air heater for heating air for 

